With the cost of the average American wedding reaching about $26,000, insurers have been selling a growing number of policies to protect against losses from extreme weather, illness and even a change of heart.

Cheryl Winter spent $500 for Hartford-based Travelers Cos. Inc. to cover her daughter's $50,000 destination wedding last October in New Orleans, where her biggest concern was a potential hurricane. The weather cooperated, but the limousine never showed up. She used the insurance policy to claim the deposit money they couldn't get back from the limo driver.

Travelers says issues with vendors account for about a quarter of claims, with most of those related to issues with photographers or videographers.